complement and balance
by NonsensicalLyrics
Summary: one shots and drabbles including Zutara Week 2012 prompts
1. Serendipity

**Summary : **Iroh's nephew is missing, and so apparently is a young water bender. Cue Detective Wang Fire to the rescue.

* * *

_**P****rince Zuko ****was missing**_, and Iroh was quite worried. Or at least rather worried. Somewhat worried, perhaps. Yes, let's go with somewhat.

Prince Zuko was missing, and Iroh was somewhat worried. Normally Iroh wouldn't have been worried at all. To the contrary, he would have been thrilled, taking his nephew's disappearance as an opportunity to hope against hopes that he had gotten himself entangled with a female or in trouble with the law or involved in some other healthy youthful indiscretion. His nephew on the whole did not experience nearly enough healthy youthful indiscretions for a boy of eighteen years and it was with the idea that he might find it in himself to experience such indiscretions if in a suitable environment that his uncle invited Prince Zuko to spend the summer months with him in the grand city of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko had been gone for so long (nearly eight hours now) that Iroh began to worry (hope) that he perhaps needed to be bailed out of jail or saved from an angry father. It was more likely that his nephew had become lost in his own brooding and the time had gotten away from him, but an old man could dream. Either way, it was about time that he go save the boy, even if it was from his own sour disposition.

No harm in hoping for the best, Iroh thought to himself, strolling down the street after telling the the manager of the tea shop he owned that he was going to go look for his nephew.

Though it was close to six o'clock the sun was still strong and wouldn't surrender the sky to night for a good two hours yet. The shadow he would have cast was swallowed by the larger shadows of the buildings around him as he made his way to the park. It was his nephew's favorite place in the upper ring – he liked to feed the turtleducks.

At the entrance of the park a small group of young people crowded around a tree and Iroh couldn't help but overhear their animated conversation as he neared them.

"You see this scorch mark?" said the oldest boy, a dark skinned lad around his nephew's age, perhaps a year or two younger. "She was with a fire bender." The boy was wearing what appeared to be a very low quality fake beard.

"A fire bender?" asked a bald boy with blue arrow tattoos on his head and hands, his voice cracking. "What was she doing with a fire bender? Were they fighting?" Though obviously younger than the darker skinned boy by several years he was nearly as tall, but in the lanky way of someone who'd just gone through a growth spurt.

"Hmmmmmm…" the older boy intoned, leaning down to inspect the contents of a tree-adjacent trashcan. "I think what we had here was a classic case of -" here he paused for dramatic affect, causing the shortest member of the group, a girl with a delicate build and messy black hair, to whisper something to a pretty auburn-haired girl with a warrior's build and posture. Judging from the stifled giggle that came from the second girl, it was most likely a joke at the boy's expense.

"Indigestion!" said boy finally finished, jabbing his finger in the air.

"How do you figure that, Sokka?" the auburn-haired girl asked. "Oops – I mean, how do you figure that, Detective Wang Fire_?_" She wore an amused but patient smile, obviously humoring him.

"I'm glad you asked, Suki," Sokka –er –I mean, 'Detective Wang Fire' answered, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Upon observing the scorch mark on the bark of tree, I quickly estimated the angle and velocity of the –"

"There's an empty bag of fire flakes in the trashcan," the tattooed-boy interrupted. A lemur stood on the rim of the can, holding said bag. After inspecting it for any remaining crumbs the creature tossed the bag aside and jumped up onto the boy's shoulder.

'Wang Fire" snatched the bag out of the air as it wafted on the breeze, lips pursed in a disappointed pout over having his thunder stolen by the team pet.

The auburn-haired girl leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

"It's okay sweetie, I'm still impressed," she consoled, earning a goofy grin in return.

Iroh took advantage of the momentary lull and stepped forward.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and I believe we could perhaps be of help to one another."

The teens all turned to look at the old man, exchanging questioning glances amongst one another before 'Wang Fire' nodded sagely (or in way he though was sagely) for the man to continue.

"From what I overheard, it seems you are looking for a friend of yours who might be in the company of a fire bender, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right," the delicately built girl affirmed. "Detective Snoozles' sister decided to wander off a few hours ago and still hasn't come back."

"She was talking to this guy last I saw her – really cute, probably Fire Nation," Suki offered, patting the oldest boy's cheek reassuringly when he scowled at her description of the boy his sister was with.

Iroh clapped his hands together. "My nephew has also been missing for several hours – he's visiting from the Fire Nation, and those," he indicated the bag of extra-hot fire flakes held in 'Wang Fire's hand, "are his favorite snack."

"Really?" the tattooed-boy enthused, eyes bright. "That's great, you can help us find them!"

Suki rubbed her chin, mimicking her boyfriend.

"Your nephew," she began, "Is he tall with broad shoulders, black hair, dreamy eyes, and a sexy scar?"

Iroh chuckled at her description and the puce color her boyfriend's face was turning.

"Not exactly the words I would have used, but yes, that sounds like my nephew." He turned to the older boy and bowed his head deferentially. "I would be most grateful if you would assist me in locating him, Detective."

Mollified, 'Wang Fire' puffed out his chest.

"I would be happy to help, good sir."

The smallest girl smacked her forehead – now that he was closer he could see to his surprise that her green eyes were misted over with blindness.

"Thanks for encouraging him, Gramps."

Iroh learned that Detective Wang Fire, otherwise known as Sokka, was in fact a quite capable tracker..

"Interesting, very interesting," he said. "Do you see how one set of footprints disappears here? I believe I can deduce through simple application of – "

"Sokka, will you just get on with it," came from the blind girl – whose name Iroh had learned was Toph – exasperated and all out of blind jokes by now.

"Okay, okay, jeesh. Alright, so right over here," he indicated a secluded spot where the grass had been badly trampled and a bush appeared to have been crushed, "there seems to have been some sort of scuffle. Iroh's nephew pushed Katara out of the way to protect her from whoever was attacking them, which you can tell from the way the blades of grass here have been bent under their combined weight rolling on the ground."

"She then used her bending to manipulate the vines and subdue their assailant, who must have attacked from above given that they left no trail." He pointed out a mess of vines that had been tied in a series of complicated knots.

"But Sokka," interrupted the other boy, who was named Aang, "Who would have tried to attack them, and why?"

"A_hem._"

"Oops, sorry - _Detective Wang Fire_, who would have tried to attack them?"

"That I don't know. What I _do_ know, however, is that after tying him up on the ground Katara must have given him a nasty beating, judging from the way his head and limbs pressed into the ground."

"And where was Iroh's nephew during all of this?" asked Toph flatly, as if she already knew the answer but knew Sokka didn't.

He looked stumped.

"Ummm…" He scratched under his beard and looked to Suki for help. She just shrugged and crossed her arms, waiting to see what he would come up with. Sokka got on all fours and inspected the ground, face just inches from the grass and dirt.

"It seems that at some point, he came over here and using his fire bending cut the assailant loose, who then must have jumped back up into the trees, obviously terrified and no longer a threat. Katara must have been hurt somehow, because this is where her tracks disappear. So, Zuko must have picked her up and carried her…"

Sokka lead the group around some tall shrubs.

"… over here!" he said, rounding the corner. His face fell, shocked at what he saw. It appeared he had been correct about Iroh's nephew having carried Katara this way, but wrong about everything else.

Everyone was too stunned to speak for a long moment, before Iroh finally broke the silence.

"Zuko, I see you've made a new friend, I'm so proud of you."

"Uncle!"

"What are you doing to my little sister?" Sokka raged over Toph and Suki's laughter.

"It's not his fault, Sokka, I can explain! We were just talking, and then well… one thing lead to another…"

"Maybe we should give them some privacy, you guys…" said Aang, hands already over his eyes.

"Hey, Snoozles, are you sure she was using those vines to tie up an assailant?"

"Euuuuuughh! I don't want to think about this!"


	2. Transcend

_transcend_

_From Old French transcender, Latin transcendere ("to climb over, step over, surpass, transcend")_

* * *

** "Do you think they'll tell stories about us?"** she asks as they climb up the hill holding hands. But for the stars and the tiny sliver of a waxing moon it's pitch black and with their hands tangled together if one of them stumbles the other will catch them.

"I'm Fire Lord, they already tell stories about me." It isn't boastful or smug, but simply a matter of fact statement. Stories, rumors, nasty lies – as royalty they'd been spun about and around him since childhood. He chooses not to mention that stories were also already told about Katara now, as those about her were often the nastiest (jealousy fuels the imagination).

The water bender huffs – in the dark he can see her long, loose hair (how he loved it loose, though he wouldn't say so out loud) toss and can almost hearher eyes roll.

"You know what I mean. Like, will we be legends. Will kids read about us in their history books hundreds of year from now."

"Probably."

They've reached the top of the hill. The entire town is laid out before them on one side, specked with lantern light flickering in the windows as the people, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, mixing together peacefully (if only it could be like that everywhere), ready for sleep. On the other side is the forest, glittering with lightning flies and fire moths out to mate and live and die.

They're both silent for a moment, taking in the sight of the insects, one species emitting a warm orange glow, the other other a soft blue, darting around amongst the trees, mingling like the tinkling of small bells in harmony.

Katara breaks the silence first with a tiny little sigh.

"Of course you will. And Aang, the Avatar, and Toph the discoverer of a whole new bending art, and Sokka's bound to be a great leader." Zuko turns his head and catches her eye, so blue.

"And I suppose I will, too. The girl who found the Avatar, the Avatar's water bending master, the Avatar's healer, the Avatar's -"

She stops short and looks away.

Zuko suddenly becomes very aware of her hand, still clasped in his. He half-expects (dreads) that she'll pull away, but her hand maintains it's gentle hold on his as she continues.

"I'll figure in some of the stories. Most of them will probably be about you and Aang, though."

Zuko frowns, and, unconsciously, he holds her hand just a little tighter.

"I don't know about that." His voice is lower, huskier than he expected it to be. She looks back up at him, questioning, and he can just make out the slope of her nose, the angle of her cheekbones, the soft shape of her lips.

Her eyes, so blue, almost glow.

"You know you're more than that. You're so much more than just the Avatar's… anything. More than any of us, you're a hero in your own right."

He means it. He and Aang were born into their places in history. Katara, she was so brave, so strong, so selfless, not because she's supposed to be but because that's who she is.

"And on top of it you make all of us so much stronger." It comes out as a whisper, as does her response.

"I do, do I?" He can't tell if it's a real question or if she's just teasing him. He doesn't care

"You should do something for yourself for once," he says by way of answer.

Her face seems to have gotten closer – he can just make out her the shadow of her lashes now.

"I should, should I?"

Softly, he nods.

And so she kisses him.

And in the dark, lit only by the stars and crescent moon and the distant glow of lightning flies and fire moths, he becomes Katara's.


	3. Heartstrings

_heartstrings_

* * *

He was always giving her things, little gifts. A flower as they walked through the palace garden, a new hairpin, dusty water bending scrolls found in the depths of the royal library. Sometimes the little gifts turned into big gifts, like when she complained one morning as they prepared for their weekly sparring date (they were both rather busy but made sure to make time to practice their skills against each other, just like old times, but with a lot more kissing afterwords) that some of her clothes were getting a bit tight due to her recent growth spurt (a spurt her boyfriend seemed to appreciate, judging by the way his hands wandered whenever they were alone). The next day she was surprised by a visit from the royal seamstress and within a few weeks she had an entirely new wardrobe.

Katara would be lying if she said she didn't like being doted on like this even just a little. It wasn't the things themselves, but just the fact that a man normally so guarded with his emotions would go to so much trouble to show his affection made her feel warm and loved. Whether it was the fresh mango she had mentioned craving or -

Or this.

"Zuko…. it's beautiful." It was all she could think to say. Presented before her was the most stunning, ornate, and probably expensive necklace she had ever seen. Intricately woven strands of white and rose gold bedecked with silvery blue pearls and tiny, clear blue gems – it was breath taking.

The silence stretched and Zuko began to fidget just slightly.

"You like it?"

Katara tore her eyes from the jewels to look up at him, dazed, before moving her lips into a reassuring smile.

"Yes, of course I do – it's beautiful. I'm just a little stunned…" She let out a breathless little laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "What's the occasion?"

Instead of relaxing the Fire Lord visible tensed. They were sitting on a couch in the sitting room of his private quarters, overlooking the gardens (though it was winter and many of the most vibrant flowers were out of bloom, the warm, tropical climate meant that the garden remained vibrant and green).

Zuko had asked her to meet him here after their respective morning meetings, having made sure to clear both their schedules. It quickly became evident that he had more on his mind then spending a leisurely afternoon with his girlfriend.

Said girlfriend furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could ask what was on his mind he spoke of his own accord.

"I know we haven't talked about it in a while," he began nervously. "And that we said we would just wait and see, and, that maybe, one day, when the political climate was favorable."

He swallowed and wiped his palms on his pants before continuing.

"The council brought it up, and I've been thinking about it a lot myself recently. They, we, think it would be a good time, and the people love you – all the work you've been doing, helping the transition to peace-time…" Zuko took another deep breathe and set aside the jewels to take her hands gently in his. She could see him screwing up all of his courage as he held her hands in his sweaty palms, absently rubbing his thumbs over the back of them.

"Katara, will you marry me?"

The water bender's eyes went wide and one hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. This also ended up covering the grin that was forming. She couldn't believe this was happening – she fully intended to marry Zuko one day – she loved him with everything she was – but she hadn't dared to hope that it would be so soon.

"I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make you happy, Katara," the man across from her rushed, having taken her silence as a bad sign. "You mean everything to me."

Katara lowered her hand.

"Or we can wait if you think it's too soon," he went on, barely a space between thoughts.

Katara blinked at him and shook her head – he look so worried, so unsure and nervous.

He didn't… he didn't _really_ think that she might say no, did he?

"Zuko," she injected before he could say anything more. "Zuko, you know that I love you, don't you?"

The Fire Lord stared at her dumbly for a moment, mouth agape, before nodding.

"Yes, I know that."

But his demeanor didn't match the surety of his words, and Katara realized that he didn't know, not really. Sure, he may have known that she loved him for the moment, but there was no confidence for the future. He was afraid.

Katara's gaze drifted to the side and landed on the necklace as her mind wandered to Zuko's family – the mother that left him, the sister that competed with and lied to him, the father that scarred and banished him.

He didn't understand what unconditional love was.

"If you don't like it I can get you something else," he said, noticing where her gaze lay

Her blue eyes snapped back to his gold and her heart broke at the desperation she saw in them.

"No, it's beautiful," she reassured again. "I love it. I love everything you give me."

"Are you sure? Because you can have anything you want, I can –"

"Zuko," she cut him off, placing a hand on his scarred cheek. "The only thing I want is you. Don't you understand that?"

He looked at her for a moment before his eyes slid closed and his shoulders drooped.

"I want to make sure your happy. That you still…"

"Still what?"

He didn't answer, just sat their, unconsciously leaning into her palm.

Katara lifted her other hand to wind it in the hair at the nape of his neck and leaned forward so they were only a breathe apart. Feeling her shift closer, the Fire Lord opened his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Zuko. You don't have to keep trying to convince me – you've got me. I'm yours."

"You're mine?"

His voice came out as barely more than a whisper, as if afraid that if he spoke too loudly she would dissolve into mist.

She leaned her forehead against his.

"Yes."

His breathe hitched at her words. The pads of the fingers of one hand, warm and calloused, delicately touch her bare shoulder and slowly fluttered down and back up her arm, drinking in the feel of her skin.

"Katara." His breathing was getting heavier and he almost choked on her name. "Katara, you know I'm yours. I've always been yours."

"I know."

She pulled him into an embrace and he clutched her to him like she was all he had in the world.

"And I'll always be yours. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

He laughed, breathless. "So, does this mean you'll marry me?"

Rather than answer Katara pulled back and kissed him, and proceeded to show him that they were tied together by something stronger than gold and vows.


End file.
